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“I did,” I squeaked, still not sure what the hell was happening.
Her attention turned to the shadowy warlock, and she shook her head. “Oh, Damon. You have been a very naughty boy. Do you think I have not been keeping an eye on you? Grimm has informed me of all of your unpleasant little plans, all so very selfish. All more proof of why it was best that we broke up when we did.”
“Monique,” Damon managed, his voice wrenching from the darkness, which had already started to fade into the surrounding night as his time ran out. “My love. I’ve never forgotten you. You are my truest love, my brightest wish. My soulmate.”
“That is so sweet. And you, Damon, are a…um, how do I best say this in English? A…pig dog. A big, ugly pig dog. That stinks like merde.”
“Do you remember when I told you about witches who work against the darkness?” Thierry whispered to me. “Monique happens to be one of them.”
I gasped. “Wait, what?”
The witch had seemed so clueless to me, so oblivious to the trouble I was in, but then I realized that was the act. The best way to not show how strong you were was to pretend to be the opposite.
“I’m sorry, Monique,” Damon said. “Everything you say about me is true. Please forgive me. Please help me fix this so I can make it up to you. I know you still love me.”
“I do love you,” Monique said. “It is my tragic flaw, c’est la vie. My love for a selfish, stupid, pig-dog warlock who cheated on me with every woman in Paris.”
“Not every woman,” Damon countered. “Please, Monique. There’s isn’t time to argue. Your magic is powerful, powerful enough to save me.”
“Yes, it certainly is,” she agreed.
Silence fell on the patio.
“Well?” Damon prompted.
“Well,” Monique repeated. “Perhaps in our next lives, we can find each other and try again. Au revoir, mon amour.”
“No!” Damon cried out. “Noooooooo!”
I swear I could still hear the pained, eerie sound of his voice long after the shadows disappeared completely.
“C’est ça,” Monique said sadly. “It is as it was meant to be. Grimm will be at peace now, frolicking happily with his elf friends in elf heaven.” She glanced toward us. “Or, I don’t really know. Whatever elves do in the afterlife.”
“Thank you, Monique,” Thierry said. “I sincerely appreciate your help.”
“It seems you are not the one who should be thanking me.” Monique turned toward Alicia. “You nearly lost your life because of your unfortunate choices today.”
Alicia stood there, her face chalk-white, her body trembling. “I must admit, I am feeling a great deal of regret.”
“I’m sure you are,” I squeaked angrily.
“I’m sorry, Sarah. And Thierry. I must have been under Damon’s spell, that’s all. I would never have done such horrible things I’ve been thinking properly. I mean, he was a warlock. Clearly, he cast a love spell on me that made me obey his bidding.” She turned to Thierry, her eyes bright. “You believe me, don’t you? And you can’t possibly blame me for any of this!”
“No, I don’t blame you.” Thierry shook his head, and I resisted digging my wing-claw through the material of his expensive jacket.
Alicia let out a shuddery sigh of relief. “Oh, thank you.”
“Your husband, on the other hand,” Thierry said. “Might blame you a great deal. In fact, I think he will finally grant you that divorce you’ve been so desperately wanting, but probably not with the exorbitant amount of alimony you demanded. Understandable, really. What he does beyond that as a response to your choices today is entirely up to him. He is one of the council elders, after all. Not me.”
Alicia stared at Thierry for a very long time before sitting down heavily in the patio seat.
“Seems a bit light of a punishment, if you ask me,” I told him.
“Had she harmed you, trust me, I would not be nearly this lenient.”
Monique drew closer. “Ah, little bat, I have enjoyed you so.”
I sighed. “Great. Glad to entertain.”
